Pictures Last a Lifetime
by markandcallieforever
Summary: Mark and Callie's daughter is getting married. The night before they reminisce in the special moments they shared with their daughter.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's Anatomy or the characters. **

Mark cautiously inched open the door to the bedroom he shared with his wife and stopped at the sight he saw. Huddled under the covers, Callie Torres-Sloan was trying her hardest to keep her tears at bay, but once she looked up and saw her husband leaning against the door, she let go. Mark shot to her side, pulling her close to his chest and rubbing her back tenderly.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Mark asked as he ran his hands through her raven-colored hair. Callie sniffled and wiped her eyes before looking up at him.

"Our baby's getting married tomorrow." she said softly.

Since their daughter, Adrienne Sloan, had announced her engagement Mark had been dreading this night. The final night that he would be the only man in his daughter's life. He could remember the first day that he brought their daughter home from the hospital like it was yesterday. And now, she was going to be married, sure Mark and Callie loved Lucas like he was their own son, but the fact that their only daughter was going to be committed to him for the rest of her life scared them to no end.

Mark sighed heavily and placed a kiss upon Callie's head, "Our baby's getting married tomorrow." he repeated quietly. A new wave of tears were brought to Callie's eyes as the words were uttered once more. Mark tried to think of something that would calm his sobbing wife and jumped out of the bed when an idea hit him. He slipped out of their room and returned less than a minute later with a photo album in his hands. Callie smiled when she recognized what he was holding and moved over in the bed for him to climb in with her.

After getting comfortable, Mark propped up on the headboard, while Callie lay on his chest, Mark opened the album and flipped to the first page. "Do you remember this, Cal?" he said pointing to a picture of their first night home with their baby girl.

Callie smiled at the photo and ran her finger over it, "How could I forget?"

_"C'mon Callie! This night has to be remembered!" Mark insisted. Callie groaned and simply shook her head from the couch. _

_"No Mark, I'm tired and I probably look like death," she looked down at their beautiful 8-pound baby girl, "And Adrienne is tired too," she gestured toward the sound sleeping child, "I don't think she would want her picture taken without her being awake for it." _

_Mark continued to try and get a good shot of mother and child and pouted when Callie turned her head every time, "Cal! In 20 years we're gonna want to look back on this day and smile!" _

_Callie shifted the baby in her arms and smiled up at her eager husband, "I'm smiling now," she flashed him her signature smile that could melt any man that was in distance to see it, "that's all that matters." Giving up with a sigh, Mark snapped shut the video camera he had in his hand and sat on the couch next the two most important girls in his life. Callie smirked in victory and snuggled closer to him as they both looked down at their daughter. _

_"She's pretty awesome, isn't she?" Callie said and looked up at Mark. He lightly kissed her forehead and caressed the cheek of his daughter. _

_"She takes after her mother," he ran his hand through the baby's crop of dark hair that she had also inherited from her mother. Mark watched as Callie pressed feather light kisses to the babies cheeks, without her noticing, he reached over and grabbed the camera off the table and silently turned it on. He waited until Callie pressed a gentle kiss to the baby's pouty lips and he quickly snapped the perfect shot. _

_Callie looked up at him and glared, he simply shrugged and wrapped an arm around her, "Gotcha." _

Both parents smiled at the memory and Callie turned to the next page, she let out a chuckle as a picture of Mark trying to get Adrienne to eat baby food for the first time appeared, "Look how much you've learned, Sloan." she teased. Mark lightly pinched her arm studied the picture, and began to chuckle himself at the memory.

_Callie crept down the stairs at the sound of her husbands constant groans of frustration and decided to see what the cause of them were. She peeked her head into the doorway of the kitchen and let out a quiet chuckle. Callie watched as Mark tried to get their daughter to eat something that looked a lot like green beans, and then smirked her daughter spit the food out, spraying her father with the green goo. Unable to let the moment fade, Callie raced to the living room and found her camera, she returned to the doorway and snapped a shot of Mark trying once more to feed their daughter, only this time, he thought that a funny face would get her to open her mouth. Sadly, it didn't. _

_The sound her laughing caught his attention and he glared at her when he noticed the camera in her hand. "Glad this amuses you, Cal." _

_She set the camera down with a giggle and walked over to where they were seated and pressed a kiss to her daughters head, "Hey baby girl, giving your daddy hell?" the baby made a gurgling noise and pounded her spoon against the table of her high chair, "I'm gonna take that as a yes." _

_Mark groaned and watched as Callie wet a wash cloth and began to wipe her daughter's face, "She won't eat this," he lifted the bowl of green beans, "she won't eat sweet potato, she won't eat the applesauce," he dropped his head, "she won't eat anything." _

_Callie chuckled and grabbed the bowl from his hands and took a seat next to him in front their daughter. She turned to Mark and smirked, "Watch and learn, Sloan." she then returned her gaze to her daughter and smiled, "Adrienne can you open your mouth for mommy?" Mark watched in shock as their daughter gladly opened her mouth as wide as she could, Callie easily spooned the green goop into their daughter's mouth and watched as the child happily ate it and opened her mouth for more. Callie turned to Mark, who was wearing a look of pure jealousy, "And that's how the master does it." she said cockily. _

_With a huff, Mark crossed his arms over his chest and watched as Callie quickly fed the infant and was soon at her last bite. "How in the hell did you do that?" _

_"Mother's instinct." _

_"That's crap," Mark declared and received a slap to the shoulder from his use of words, "Seriously, Cal, how did you get her to eat that?" he pointed at the, now, empty pink bowl. _

_As she cleaned up her daughter, Callie answered, "Mark, she doesn't like to be talked to using 'baby language'." _

_Mark furrowed his eyebrows, "What are you talking about?" he asked, "She is a baby, what else am I suppose to talk to her like?" Callie sighed and sat down in his lap. _

_"All I'm saying is that understand what we're saying without all the," she waved her hand to make emphasis, "goo goo, gaga crap." It was Mark's turn to scold her for her language. _

_"No negativity in front of the kid." he mocked, Callie frowned and moved to get up off his lap, but he held her around her waist and instead, pulled her closer. "So no 'baby language' huh?" _

_Both parents looked over at their daughter who had fallen asleep unnoticed, "No 'baby language'." She whispered in his ear. They sat there, watching as their daughter slept peacefully, both wearing smiles of pure awe. _

Callie and Mark skimmed through a few more pages of pictures, Adrienne's first hair cut, her first birthday, her first tooth. They both connected every picture to a memory. A particular picture caught their attention and Callie picked up the picture and looked closely at it. "This was her first day of school."

Mark got a closer look at the picture and nodded, "Yeah, she was so excited, remember?" The picture captured a smiling Adrienne Sloan, her pink backpack strapped around her shoulders, and her adorable first day of school outfit on.

_"Okay Mama, Daddy, I'll see you guys after kay?" Little Adrienne Sloan announced to her parents who were both holding a hand of hers walking her to her kindergarten class. Once they reached room 207, Callie got down to eye level with her daughter and fixed her adorable pink bow that was in her hair. _

_"Be good today, peanut," Her mother reminded her, Adrienne nodded and threw her arms around her mother. Callie squeezed her daughter tight against her chest and kissed her cheek before standing back up. Mark scooped up his daughter and hugged her, like only a dad could hug. _

_"Mommy and Daddy will be here right after school to pick you up." _

_Adrienne nodded and squirmed to get out of her dad's arms. "Daaaadddy," she complained when he held her tighter, "I have to go with the other kids." she pointed to the line of kids who were making their way into the classroom. Mark kissed her forehead and gave her one last hug before setting her down on her feet. _

_With her personality, she immediately made a friend, and the two girls were both giggling when their teacher announced it was time to go in. Her blonde haired friend pulled her towards the door, but Adrienne looked back at her parents and ran full speed to them. Callie and Mark both dropped to their knees and caught their daughter as she threw an arm around each of their necks. She kissed each of their cheeks and pulled away from them. _

_"I love you!" she called over her shoulder as she followed her new found friend into her class. _

_"We love you too, baby." Mark said to her, he reached down and clasped his hand to Callie's as tears started to build in her eyes. Together, they watched as their goofy, lovable, cheerful, daughter got settled into her class and waved one last goodbye to them before the door shut. _

"I don't think I've ever cried that much in my life until that day." Callie said with a chuckle and nuzzled her nose into the crook of Mark's neck. He tilted her chin up and kissed her lips once, and then twice. Callie pulled back and returned her gaze back to the album. She flipped through various pictures of Adrienne in school, from first grade to 8th grade. Then she was off to high school, which came with school dances and Mark's worst nightmare, proms.

Callie laughed at her daughter's junior prom picture, her date was sweating bullets since he walked through their door to pick her up. She raised up the picture for Mark to see, "Do you remember this, babe?" she asked.

Mark looked down at the picture and groaned, "That was Gabriel, wasn't it?" Callie nodded, "I never liked that kid." Callie playfully slapped his chest.

"You never liked anyone she dated," she smiled at the beauty her daughter had become. Her black hair and curled down her back and she was wearing a strapless black gown that showed off her signature Torres curves, that all women of the Torres family wore with pride. "Which is why she dated so many people," she clarified, "but, hey, our daughter is one beautiful girl, Mark."

"I know, that was the problem for her in high school." he grumbled under his breath.

_Mark glared at the younger boy who was sitting on the couch across from him. He watched as he played with the corsage that he had bought for his daughter. When the young boy lifted his eyes from the floor and glanced at Mark, he immediately dropped his gaze back down to his cuffs. Mark continued to observe the boy 'the hottest guy in school' as his daughter liked to put it, from head to toe. The two men sat in silence until Callie came walking through the doorway with a wide smile on her face. _

_She turned to Mark, "Are you ready to see her?" Mark groaned, but nodded and stood and followed as his wife led him to the staircase. The boy introduced as Gabriel stood behind them and watched as Adrienne Maria Torres glided down the stairs. The young boy stood in awe as she made her way towards them with, what he knew, the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. _

_"You look...breathtaking." he observed. Adrienne made her way to him and watched as he fastened the corsage that matched her dress perfectly to her wrist. He held her hand in his and gazed up at her. _

_Adrienne blushed under his stare, "You don't look to bad yourself." she eyed him up and down, with a smirk on her face. She then turned to her father who was standing with his arm around her mother's waist. _

_"Don't wait up, okay?" _

_Mark's face turned to stone as he acknowledged the boy beside his daughter, "Her curfew is midnight," he informed in, "any minute after and I will make sure that this is the last prom you will ever attend, do you understand me, boy?" he threatened. Gabriel nodded with a loud gulp that was heard by everyone. _

_"Yes, Sir" _

_His daughter rolled her eyes at her father, "Dad, do I have to be home at midnight?" she asked sweetly, "Everyone was gonna go over to Katie's house after and -" _

_She was cut off by the sound of her father's harsh tone, "It's either midnight, or no night, your choice Adrienne." Callie slapped his chest and narrowed her eyes at him. _

_"Oh hush!" she demanded, she turned to her daughter, "We'll make it 1:00, Adrienne, but that's it." _

_Her daughter jumped into her arms and kissed her cheek, "Thank you, Mami." Callie pushed a stray lock of hair behind her daughter's ear and lightly kissed her daughter's cheek. Adrienne then turned to her father who was standing with his arms over his chest, knowing better than to argue with the mighty Callie Torres. _

_"I promise I'll be safe, Daddy." She hugged her father and sighed when he wrapped her arms around her, she kissed his stubble covered cheek, "I love you." Mark released his daughter and watched as she looped her arm with Gabriel's. _

_"Have a good time, princess." _

_"I will daddy." She led Gabriel toward the door, but before they could make a run for it Callie called after them. _

_"Wait!" she exclaimed, "I have to get a picture!" She insisted. Adrienne turned around and smiled at her mother and posed for the camera. _

_"Okay," Callie started, "One, two, three." _

_Adrienne and Gabriel continued their way to the door, while Mark and Callie watched their daughter smile and flutter her eyelashes at the boy. "Goodnight!" she called before closing the door, leaving her parents behind, both watching their daughter grow up in an blink of an eye. _

"What ever happened to that boy?" Mark asked, his hands gently rubbing the flesh of Callie's hip below her shirt. She shrugged and flipped through more pictures of her daughter in high school, growing more beautiful step of the way.

"I think he went off to college and they stopped talking or something."

Mark nodded and gazed at the pictures as his wife flipped through them. Callie stopped on one and held it up for him to see.

"Speaking of college," she started, "Do you remember how happy she was to graduate from Stanford?" she said with a chuckle. Mark joined in on her laugh as they gazed at the proud face of their daughter.

_"And now, the valedictorian of the class of 2025, Adrienne Sloan." The director of Stanford University announced. Callie and Mark jumped to their feet and clapped as their daughter walked up the stage and received her diploma. They then listened as she gave her speech about her time at Stanford and her speech bought tears to both parent's eyes. _

_"Congratulations Class of 2025! We did it!" Adrienne exclaimed and the crowd roared with life as the caps of the graduates were cast into the air. Mark and Callie stood watching as their amazingly smart, genuine, and beautiful daughter thanked her professors and made her way off the stage and toward her classmates. _

_"She did it." Callie said with a smile. She looked up at Mark and saw his eyes begin to water. Reaching over, she grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers, giving his hand a tight squeeze. Mark looked down at Callie and smiled through his tears. _

_"She did it." _

_They waited for their daughter to make her way towards them, and when she was in sight, Mark enveloped her into a hug and lifted her off her feet. _

_"Congratulations, princess" he said to his daughter and smiled at hearing her laugh in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and relished in the warm feeling that her dad always brought her. Mark squeezed his daughter one last time and then set her on her feet. _

_"Thanks, daddy" Adrienne said with complete sincerity. She then turned to her mother and wrapped her arms around her. _

_"Congratulations Mija!" Callie exclaimed, the two Latinas embraced each other for a while before they both pulled back and held each other at arm's length. _

_"Thank you, Mami" Her daughter said to her, "For everything." Callie's eyes teared as she hugged her daughter once more and pulled back to wipe at her eyes with a slight chuckle. _

_"Oh! Picture time!" Callie reminded and pulled her camera from her purse. Both Mark and Adrienne groaned, but both quieted once they got the eye brow raise. Callie asked one of the parents to take their picture and they all posed for the camera_

_"Alright everyone," the man started, "One, Two, Three" he snapped the photo of the Torres-Sloan family, each wearing a smile of pure and utter joy. _

"That was a good day." Callie declared as she turned the page to another set of pictures.

"Yes it was." Mark agreed, "Our daughter is pretty great huh?"

Callie nodded, "Yeah, she really is." Callie yawned and snapped the album shut and placed it on the bed side table. "Alright Mr. Sloan, I think that's enough of that for one night." Mark nodded and settled into the bed bringing her closer to him. Callie sighed as she wrapped an arm around his waist and lightly kissed his chest before laying her head on it. They were about to doze off, until a knock was heard. Callie groaned and looked up at Mark who pretended to be sleeping. Realizing that he wasn't making a move, Callie got up, not without slapping him on the way and made her way to the front door.

Ready to scream at whoever pulled her out of bed, Callie threw open the door, but instead of screaming stood there in shock. "Adrienne? Baby, what are you doing here?"

Her daughter looked down at the floor before moving her gaze back up to her mother's, "Lucas dropped me off," she started, "I just...really wanted to see you guys before tomorrow." Callie pulled her daughter inside and sat her on the couch.

"Is everything alright, sweetie?"

Adrienne looked to her mother, tears stinging her eyes, "I'm..." she trailed off, "I'm scared, Mom." she admitted.

Callie looked at the wonder that was her daughter, "It's okay to be scared sweetheart," she reassured her, "Marriage is a scary thing, but once you get over that fear, you realize that it was worth it all along."

She watched as her daughter nodded with a big yawn. Callie smiled and took her daughter's hand and led her toward the bedroom. She pulled back the covers and let her daughter slide in, then climbed in after her. Mark looked behind him and was surprised to see his daughter.

"Adrienne? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to see you guys." Mark nodded and turned so that he was facing his daughter and his wife. "Well, get some rest, princess, you have a big day tomorrow."

Adrienne nodded and snuggled into her father's chest, with her back to her mother. Callie and Mark gazed down at their daughter, both thanking whatever god there was who blessed them with a child so great. Callie looked up and saw that Mark was gazing at her.

"I love you" she mouthed. Mark smiled and reached over their daughter, to his wife and interlaced their fingers.

"I love you, too." he mouthed back. Soon, they both drifted off, prepared for what the next day would bring.

Wedding Day

At 12 noon, Adrienne Sloan became Mrs. Lucas Kinley. Mark had the honor of walking his daughter down the isle and giving her to a man he knew would treat her as the goddess she was. Mark and Callie watched as their promised to love and behold a man until death do them part. As the vows were spoken, both speeches brought tears to Callie's eyes time and time again. When it was time for them to become man and wife, cameras were ready as they were announced Mr. and Mrs. Lucas Kinley and they shared a kiss that binded the love between two people. Pictures were shot and Mark and Callie both knew as they watched their daughter walk back up the isle, that this picture before them, of their daughter happier than they had ever seen her, this picture would be forever with them, in this life and the next.


End file.
